Gary Lineker has predicted a bleak future for Mauricio Pochettino at Manchester United, blaming the “rinse and repeat” nature of those in charge of the club.
Manchester United have had a disastrous start to the campaign, their worst ever, and this has already cost Michael Carrick his job. The club announced that the Englishman left the club following his dismissal after one win in 10 Premier League games.
After a brief period of consideration, Manchester United appointed Mauricio Pochettino to replace Carrick, and the Argentine is set to take over after the current international break. While there is a bit of optimism within the fanbase, some sections are still sceptical over this appointment; all they can do now is look forward to what the former Tottenham boss brings to the table.
Jamie Redknapp has already given his advice to Pochettino on how to improve the team’s fortunes; there are many commentators making their opinions known in the media. One of them being Gary Lineker, as the former Spurs and England man used his The Rest Is Football podcast to air concerns and predictions over how long the Argentine will last at Old Trafford.
Gary Lineker airs his thoughts on Pochettino and Manchester United board
Lineker often gives out strong opinions on matters related to football, be it on the pitch or off it. On the Manchester United situation, he believes the problems are beyond just the manager, and also gave a projection on how long Pochettino might last at the club.
“I see Pochettino going in there, and I think they’ll probably get off to a reasonable start, and they’ll do okay for a while,” Lineker said on The Rest Is Football podcast.
“I think for Pochettino, it’s a big club, Manchester United, big by name. He’ll go on there, and then he’ll be disappointed with the way things occur in the future, and if he’s still there in 18 months, I’ll be surprised.” f anything, they’re worse now”
“Because, again and again, it’s rinse and repeat; the scapegoat is always the coach, and you can see that. And I think the real problems are above the coach. These guys are all good coaches. You look at some of the names they’ve had in the last 10 years. What’s that, 12 coaches now who have gone since Alex Ferguson? And they all leave and they say the club’s a mess.”
Lineker’s words might have some truth to them, as Pochettino will come into a team under pressure already, without even managing a single game so far. Given that the Red Devils are languishing inside the relegation zone ahead of their next game away at Anfield, the Argentine will be expected to bring in big performances on the pitch right from the get-go.
These initial few weeks will be crucial enough for Pochettino, although the long-term vision is the biggest part of this role for the Argentine. For now, he will be judged by how he can improve performances on the pitch, as there is massive pressure on Pochettino to get his bearings right.
